Find the activity. Check the boundaries.
Describe what your business does. Explore official industries, compare candidates and keep a source-backed shortlist.
Search the activity, or browse one of 20 sectors.
Read official definitions and compare related industries.
Save up to three candidates with version and source details.
Local search · memory-only shortlist · no analytics in this workspace
Common classification examples
These worked comparisons help you decide which official candidates to investigate.
Interiors, carpets or exterior building services?
Management advice or a specific technical specialty?
Maintenance, landscape design or garden retail?
Publishing, client programming or hosting?
Which merchandise or business activity is primary?
Entire buildings, civil projects or a specific trade?
Seated service, counter meals, buffets or specialty snacks?
Acting as agent, lessor or another property service?
Local, truckload, LTL or specialized freight?
Managing for others, leasing property or staffing facilities?
From a business activity to an industry
NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. Federal statistical agencies use it to group establishments by economic activity. An establishment is generally a business location; a company with different activities or locations may involve more than one classification.
Search an activity such as office cleaning, rather than a business name. A broad word like consulting can lead to several industries. A two-digit sector helps you browse; a six-digit U.S. industry gives the most specific level in this dataset.
Name the service you provide, product you make or goods you sell. Search a shorter, specific phrase if a long description has no matches.
Check the official description, indexed activities and cross-references. An activity mentioned in a cross-reference may belong in another industry.
Add up to three candidates. Copy the source-backed summary or download a CSV, then confirm the version and purpose required by the recipient.
Two useful comparisons
These examples explain why inspecting candidates is more useful than choosing the first code that mentions a word. The descriptions and cross-references come from the 2022 U.S. NAICS manual and official Census files.
561720 · Janitorial Services is a candidate for cleaning building interiors, including office and window cleaning. 561740 · Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services covers a different activity. Exterior cleaning and remediation can lead to other candidates.
Compare what is cleaned and the work performed. The label “cleaning company” alone does not settle the classification.
513210 · Software Publishers and 541511 · Custom Computer Programming Services describe different work. Publishing software, including through subscriptions or downloads, differs from writing or modifying software for a particular customer.
Hosting infrastructure and systems integration have other definitions. Read the activity boundary before retaining a software candidate.
The finder includes all five levels of 2022 U.S. NAICS. Sector ranges 31–33, 44–45 and 48–49 are real combined sectors. They are not separate five-digit industries.
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
Management Consulting Services
Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Version and destination matter
This finder uses 2022 NAICS United States, verified against official files on . Six-digit national details can differ between the United States, Canada and Mexico. A proposal for a future revision does not change this pinned dataset.
These older codes are absent from the 2022 six-digit inventory. Ecommerce is not one universal current industry: start with the goods or services sold. For older software codes, compare the actual activity with current publishing, programming or hosting definitions. Check the official version resources rather than assuming one automatic replacement.
The IRS has its own principal business activity list for the relevant tax year. Its aggregated code 541510 appears in the 2025 Schedule C instructions, but it is not a six-digit industry in this Census dataset.
Check the IRS Schedule C instructionsA NAICS candidate identifies an activity. SBA size rules also depend on the program, applicable standard, exceptions and affiliation. The shortlist is a reference worksheet.
Read the official SBA size guidanceSearch compares your words with official industry titles and the Census activity index. It shows the title or indexed activity that matched. A phrase appearing only in an exclusion does not make that code a positive keyword match. Try a short activity phrase and inspect related classifications.
Yes. Enter two to six digits to inspect an exact level and matching descendants. You can also browse a sector and open its children. Prefixes 31, 32 and 33 lead to the combined Manufacturing sector; 44 and 45 to Retail Trade; 48 and 49 to Transportation and Warehousing.
It helps you inspect and compare official candidates. The agency, form, program or organization receiving the code determines its requirements. Confirm the activity and required version before using a shortlist in a filing or application.
The CSV contains up to three selected candidates, their hierarchy, official descriptions and cross-references, plus version, verification date and Census sources. Import code fields as text in your spreadsheet. The file stays on your device; it is a comparison worksheet.
No. The finder loads a fixed public reference file when you search or browse. It matches queries locally and keeps the shortlist in this tab’s memory. Clear search keeps your shortlist; Clear shortlist removes it. Closing or reloading the tab clears the working state. Downloaded files remain on your device.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau / Office of Management and Budget, NAICS United States, 2022. The dataset contains 2,125 classification nodes, including 1,012 six-digit U.S. industries. Source files were checked on 5 October 2026. Official wording is labeled in the finder; the explanations on this page are from BiznTools.
Working with a JSON export of business data? Convert JSON to CSV locally, or explore Data Tools. For a source issue, send a correction with a public example.